Records

Ave.

Ave.

0-0

Top 16

0-0

4-5

Regular Season

5-4

4-5

Overall

5-4

Referees

Crew Chief

BELOSEVIC, ILIJA, Serbia

Referee

ANASTOPOULOS, PANAGIOTIS, Greece

Umpire

HALLIKO, AARE, Estonia

The Take

It is a make-or-break showdown in which only the winner has a guaranteed place in the Top 16. Nizhny only advances with a win, but Unics would advance with a loss only if Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari defeats Zalgiris in Kaunas. Nizhny has beaten Unics twice in Kazan this season, but will need to do so without team leader Taylor Rochestie. Unics is on a four-game winning streak and relies on Curtis Jerrells and Nikos Zisis to make the difference at point guard against Dmitry Khvostov and Evgeny Baburin. Nizhny needs to find a way to stop D'or Fischer, who sees most of the playing time at center with Viktor Sanikidze and Kostas Kaimakoglou at power forward. Art Parakhouski needs to use his post moves against Fischer, while Kaimakoglou and Sanikidze must stop Semen Antonov and Trey Thompkins. The matchup between Keith Langford and Tarence Kinsey will be one of the biggest keys in this game.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Euroleague.net

Game Notes

Nizhny Novgorod
Coach Bagatskis has used 11 different players in his starting lineups so far this season; Semen Antonov is the only player to have started every game.
Tarence Kinsey has recorded at least 1 steal in 22 consecutive Euroleague games.
Kinsey leads the Euroleague this season with 2.6 steals per game.
Kinsey has scored in double figures in five straight Euroleague games.
Kinsey was a teammate of Unics Kazan forward James White during the 2007-08 season at Fenerbahce Ulker. They helped the club win the Turkish League championship that season.
Taylor Rochestie leads the Euroleague in scoring this season with 20 points per game.
Rochestie has scored in double figures and made at least 1 three-pointer in each of the last eight games.
Rochestie has made 11 consecutive free throws in Euroleague games.
In his lone appearance off the bench this season, Art Parakhouski scored a season-high 19 points on 6-of-7 shooting and added 9 rebounds against Unics last month.
Dmitry Golovin played briefly for Unics Kazan during the 2011-12 season. Petr Gubanov is the only current Unics player that was there when Golovin played.

Unics Kazan
Unics Kazan is last in the Euroleague in offensive rebounding this season with 7.3 per game.
Kostas Kaimakoglou and Keith Langford have each started every Turkish Airlines Euroleague game for Unics Kazan this season. Seven other players have started at the other three positions.
Vadim Panin spent the past three seasons playing for Nizhny Novgorod. He was a teammate there of current Nizhny players Taylor Rochestie, Semen Antonov, Evgeny Baburin, Vladimir Ivlev, Dmitry Golovin and Dimitriy Khvostov.
Petr Gubanov played for Nizhny last season too and Pavel Antipov was there during the 2010-11 season.
Sergey Bykov played alongside Nizhny Novgorod players Dimitriy Khvostov and Vladimir Ivlev early in their respective careers at Dynamo Moscow. Bykov and Khvostov were teammates from 2006 through 2010, while Ivlev rose through the juniors and played with the team in the last two of those seasons.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Euroleague.net

Quotes Head Coaches

BAGATSKIS, AINARS

Nizhny Novgorod

"Unics is a team with great Euroleague experience. They changed their game after the arrival of Pashutin, but they didn’t become much stronger. And we have already beaten them twice, so we’re focusing on our game. Of course, it’s a big game but we’re trying to avoid pressure. We just hope that our fans support us during the game, just like they’ve done a few times this season."

PASHUTIN, EVGENY

Unics Kazan

"We will have to keep to our game, play defensivey and neutralise the opponent team’s leaders, among them Kinsey, Thompkins and Parakhousky. Khvostov should be paid a special attention as well, showing a very mature game in his recent matches. To succeed, we shall not allow our opponents to shoot free throws, and will have to combat long shooters in the arc and, of course, keep an eye on Antonov and Baburin. Nizhny Novgorod does very well on court provided they do not feel pressure. Therefore our offense should be well thought and smart, and we should avoid run-and-gun operations. We are to keep our winning mood and play as a team."

Players

ANTONOV, SEMEN

Nizhny Novgorod

"I think we have some kind of mental advantage, because we won twice in Kazan. But they also must be confident now after getting four straight wins in Euroleague and they come to Nizhny hoping to get revenge. It’s going to be a great game and we’re ready to give everything to win it."

PANIN, VADIM

Unics Kazan

"We are expecting a difficult game against Nizhny Novgorod. They celebrated their win in Istanbul, competed well against Real Madrid and, just on Monday managed to rout VEF Riga on the road (in VTB League). We know that Rochestie has been injured, but this does not mean that our task has been eased much, the team does not seem to have become weaker. Baburin, Khvostov, Parakhouski and the American players always show smart basketball and good game. Our opponents will play at home and will definitely enjoy good support of their home fans. Once again, I’m pretty convinced, the match will be a difficult one."

Kinsey leads Nizhny to first-ever Top 16 appearance

In a do-or-die game for both teams that went down to the final minute, Nizhny Novgorod reached the Top 16 from Group A by rallying to beat Unics Kazan 78-74 at home on Friday. Both teams finished the regular season with 5-5 records, but Nizhny qualified due to its sweping Unics during the season. Tarence Kinsey paced the winners with 23 points. Trey Thompkins added 17, while Dmitry Khvostov and Art Parakhouski each had 10 for Nizhny. Keith Langford led Unics with 24 points and 10 rebounds. James White added 15 points while Curtis Jerrells added 11 for the hosts, who overcame an early 7-0 deficit by using a 2-17 run to get an 11-19 lead after 10 minutes. Unics still led 35-42 behind a solid performance from White and Langford. Semen Antonov and Kinsey took over late in the third quarter to bring Nizhny within 54-56. A three-point play by Kinsey put Nizhny ahead for good, 61-60. Evgeny Baburin struck from downtown and Khvostov beat the shot clock with a nine-meter prayer that boosted the hosts' lead to 69-63. Nothing changed after that, as free throw accuracy allowed Nizhny to seal a truly historic win.

First quarter: Unics shakes off slow start

Art Parakhouski got Nizhny going with a layup, which Levan Patsatsia followed with a three-pointer. Unics kept missing shots and a layup by Kinsey capped a 7-0 Nizhny start. Nikos Zisis struck from downtown to trigger the Unics response. White followed a driving layup with a three-point play to give Unics its first lead, 7-8. Kinsey hit a turnaround jumper, which a red-hot White bettered with a three-pointer. Keith Langford took over with a wild driving basket, as Unics kept filling the passing lines to prevent Nizhny from circulating the ball well. Langford sank a stop-and-pop jumper in the lane and a layup by Zisis caused Nizhny to call timeout at 9-17, after a 2-17 run. Parakhouski stepped up with a put-back layup, but Unics kept excelling on defense. Langford shined with another driving layup to boost the guests' margin to 11-19 after 10 minutes.

Second quarter: Langford keeps Unics ahead

Fischer hit his trademark mid-range jumper early in the quarter to make it a double-digit game, 11-21. White hit foul shots, which Dmitriy Khvostov bettered with a wild four-point play. White and Parahouski exchanged mid-range jumpers. Free throws by Khvostov brought Nizhny a bit closer, 19-25. Langford and Evgeny Baburin traded three-pointers before a put-back layup by Viktor Sanikidze gave Unics fresh air at 22-30. Kinsey sank a four-meter jumper, which Sanikidze erased with a backdoor slam. Parakhouski dunked, but a three-pointer by Curtis Jerrells created a 26-35 Unics margin. Kinsey answered from downtown and added a technical free throw to get his team within 30-35. Langford stepped up with a five-meter jumper. Kinsey scored again, but a three-pointer by Zisis boosted the guests' margin to 32-40. A layup by Jerrells and free throws by Khvostov and Thompson fixed the halftime score at 35-42.

Third quarter: Nizhny reduces deficit

Fischer swished a mid-range jumper immediately after the break. Thompkins quickly answered with a tip-in, which Langford matched with another mid-range jumper. Thompkins struck from downtown to give Nizhny hope at 40-46. Kostas Kaimakoglou stepped up with a three-pointer, as Unics adjusted its defense to avoid easy shots in the paint. The hosts called timeout and Thompkins worked in the low post for a basket, which Langford improved on with an outstanding three-point play for a 42-51 Unics lead. Antonov answered from downtown and a layup in transition by Thompkins caused Unics to call timeout at 47-51. Langford hit a one-handed floater and a free throw by White gave Unics a 47-54 advantage. Antonov hit foul shots and matched Sanikidze's alley-oop layup with a put-back basket. Kinsey downed a three-pointer in transition to bring Nizhny within 54-56.

Fourth quarter: Nizhny makes history

Sergey Bykov fed White for a baseline jumper early in the quarter. Nizhny was held scoreless for two minutes, but Antonov banked in a running hook to make it 56-58. Fischer beat the shot clock with a mid-range jumper, which Parakhouski erased with a turnaround jumper. Kinsey took over with an off-balance three-point play, which completed the hosts' comeback, 61-60, with less than six minutes left. Baburin took over with a wild three-pointer, after which Unics called timeout at 64-60. Kinsey and Langford exchanged baskets and a free throw by Fischer kept Unics within 66-63. Khvostov took over with an off-balance three-pointer, but Jerrells banked in one from downtown. A six-meter jumper by Thompkins gave the hosts a 71-66 advantage with less than two minutes left. Langford split free throws and Thompkins did not miss from the foul line to seal the outcome, 73-67. Unics kept trying, but Nizhny had time to celebrate making history with a Top 16 spot in hand.

Head Coaches

BAGATSKIS, AINARS

Nizhny Novgorod

"For us, when we prepared the game, the most important thing was to play our game, like I told our guys, relax and enjoy as if it was practice. I told them 'forget about the game, just enjoy as if it was practice.' Play smart, play aggressive and it should be enough. Some things we did, some things we didn't, but we found a good rhythm late in the game, in offense and defense, using all of our situations and we are really happy. I am proud of our fans, the people in this gym and for this city."

PASHUTIN, EVGENY

Unics Kazan

"We started the game well, I think we were patient on defense and made Nizhny work hard for their points. But in the third quarter some good shots by Babutin and Khvostov allowed them to feel some confidence. In the fourth quarter we played really bad on defense. I think in this competition whoever plays better defense goes further. We allowed too many open shots in the fourth quarter and couldn’t cope up with Parakhouski. I can just congratulate Nizhny Novgorod for this victory."

Players

KINSEY, TARENCE

Nizhny Novgorod

"I said at halftime that we had to stick to our game plan, come out and just make some more adjustments. We were giving up way too many easy shots and just tried to focus on that. We made plays in the end; guys came in like and played defense really well. Making it to the Top 16 was the whole goal. I expect nothing but the best and now I expect us to make it to the playoffs. We have to take one game at a time and one practice at a time. Nothing is impossible. We have to dream big."

WHITE, JAMES

Unics Kazan

"Nizhny were better tonight, you have to give them credit. It’s a very tough loss, hopefully we’ll do better later in the season."